• Phone877-326-3262
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  • Open HoursSunday Worship at 11am
  • Phone877-326-3262
  • Address59255 Ten Mile Rd, South Lyon, MI 48178
  • Open HoursSunday Worship at 11am

What is Apologetics?

 

Note from the Pastor

Apologetics is a strange word borrowed from the Greek word “apologia“. It certainly does not mean that you are sorry, but more of a legal defense or explanation of your faith. This word appears in the famous verse on witnessing:

1st Peter 3:15 NKJV
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense (apologia) to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

Consider, for a moment, all the amazing things packed into this passage:

  • First we must consider the context, and not pluck this verse out of the air. 1st Peter focuses quite a bit on the command and instructions to live a holy life, separated from sinful behavior. Why? To help us overcome sin, to help us live a great life, to help us stay saved, to help us as Christian examples, to help us in ministry, to help us as leaders, and to help us be a light and a witness to a world that needs Jesus.
  • Then as we draw closer to this verse, we look at the immediate context of 1st Peter 3:8-17. We are called to have unity among Christians – showing love, courtesy and soft-hearts to each other and others. We are to bless others and to turn away from evil, even to be willing to suffer. We are called to have a good conscience.
  • Verse 15 cuts to the essentials of a good witness. First, you must sanctify God in your hearts as Lord. If He is not Lord of your life, what kind of witness will you be? You and I must first be in right relationship with God to be the best witness. Can struggling Christians invite people to church or a Bible study? Absolutely, but to be a better witness, He must actually be Lord Jesus in your life – not just an historically important story.
  • Then we must be ready at any time with an answer. This speaks to both our mental state and our availability. We must have an answer, and we must be out there encountering people and connecting and evening prompting opportunities for the question. The answer is not necessarily brilliant words or a great argument, for arguing rarely does any good. The best answer is a passionate answer of how God changed your life and how He wants to do the same miracle in someone else’s life. The best answer is understandable and connects people to their need for God.
  • We are told to have a reason for our hope. This will not happen unless we are living positively and displaying hope. Downtrodden Christians are not asked about their hope. A spring in your step helps, and you need to get this from an ongoing Spirit-led life.
  • Lastly, we are to do all this with meekness and fear. Meekness speaks of strength under control. We need to be in control of our emotions and not easily offended or angered by disagreement, but reach past disagreement in love and truth to make a genuine connection and avoid arguments. And we need fear. This is not the fear of rejection, but the fear of missed opportunities and eternal consequences.

The Apologetics resources available from this page are tools that can hopefully help you be a better witness. You may have reached this page out of an internet search or because of a classroom assignment, likely taught by Pastor Scott. Either way, enjoy the resources available through the menu above. Where possible, the YouTube videos provided are also available on the MP3 Player page for listening on mobile devices while driving without using as much bandwidth.

Witnessing often involves answering some of the most difficult questions that we face as humans trying to find our way on a crazy planet. Faith (and a life of faith) are not irrational issues or merely emotional responses, but I believe these are logical and rational responses to the evidence and the world we live upon.

These resources are provided to provoke conversations and to challenge your thinking, especially if you have disregarded Christianity as an irrational or illogical position. I love my faith, and find it to be the most rational, logical and emotionally and morally satisfying and justified position to hold. I challenge you to consider the questions and ideas posed below and work out your own answer as well. Your answers to the questions of faith and the life of Jesus Christ really matter (Philippians 2:12).

– Pastor Scott

p.s. If you have any questions or are struggling to understand the arguments or ideas in any of these videos, contact me and let’s talk about it. I would love to help you in your journey.

p.p.s. You made it all the way to the bottom. Scroll back to the top and choose from any of the other Apologetics pages to check out more content.